Chapter 136: Cold-blooded Killer

I couldn’t tell if my body was trembling from being cold or from watching my hopes drown in dread.

*No… this can’t be happening. How the fuck is he–*

I felt stupidity hit me like a punch to the nose. The genius actor knows me inside and out. Of course, he predicted I’d bust my ass getting here. All for nothing… Thinking about it now, it was obvious I’d do that.

The middle-aged woman’s gaze turned cautious when she saw my reaction and looked me up and down more thoroughly, likely noticing how revealingly thin my nightgown was and the dog collar around my neck, a chain still dangling from it. “Um… is everything alright?”

Right as she spoke, Julian took steady steps toward us and I backed up with each one.

“Lady, get the fuck away from him! He’s a fucking murderer!”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous, I’ve known that boy most of his li–” Her defensive response ended with a startled scream when Julian walked up to her from behind and grabbed her by the shoulder. A second later, she collapsed to the floor with a knife stabbed into her back. I screamed, horrified.

“If you didn’t open your mouth, then she’d still be alive,” Julian said while stepping over her. His voice had a chill that I’d never heard before.

With the amount of blood she was rapidly losing, I could tell he must’ve hit an organ and it would be too late for her by the time help arrived. Since she was a loss cause, I spun around to run away, but my muddy feet slipped on the sleek floor and I fell on my wounded thigh, causing me to scream again.

Julian took the opportunity to scoop me up and toss me over his shoulder. “ARGH! PUT ME DOWN! LET GO! FUCKING MURDERER!!” I continued to flail my legs and hammer his back, but I knew my fierce squirming was futile, especially in my weakened state.

The last thing I see before getting hauled out of the house is the woman lying in a pool of her blood, left for dead if she wasn’t already. Guilt swallowed me like quicksand. Julian was right. I caused her death. If I had only thought twice. If only I didn’t open up my shitty mouth! If only I had stolen one of their cars and driven far away instead!

When I was a child, my dad inspired me to be a superhero when I was all grown up because that’s the way I always saw him. Until he died. Even though I stopped believing in heroes, after watching the death of that woman, I felt useless. I could never become a hero even if I wanted to change my ways. Burning tears blurred my vision.

*I’m sorry.*

“ACK!!” I cried out again when he tossed me into the passenger seat. I knew there was no point in trying to steal the wheel. Julian would just overpower me. My thigh was starting to bleed again and my hands were throbbing in pain. I could feel them swell under their tight bandages. The slamming car doors made my brain rattle in my skull as he sat in the driver’s seat. Julian had parked on the other side of the house where I wouldn’t have seen it at first glance, still ten steps ahead of me.

He wasn’t happy. It was written all over his face. It was the complete opposite of my anger. He was calm on the surface, but I could feel the boiling water beneath the surface, threatening to overflow and scorch everything. It was more intimidating than my explosive rage.

His finger rapidly tapped against the steering wheel as we drove at high speeds. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”

“ME?!” I gawked. “You just fucking killed somebody! AGAIN!! You think your ass is gonna get away with this?!”

“Who’s gonna tell?” He looked at me in the corner of his eye. “You?”

I flinched. *Will I? Why am I hesitating? I’m not afraid. I… can’t still have personal attachments to him. There’s no way in hell. I hate him!* I bit my lip in frustration. *FUCK.*

When he completely turned his head to look at me, the upset in his eyes turned from fury to deep concern. “Your thigh is bleeding again?”

“Yeah! Because of YOU!!” I shouted mercilessly.

He looked as if he was the one who had just been stabbed. “I’m sorry, Beautiful. I’ll make it up to you.”

Before I could get a hateful retort, all sound was drowned out by the roar of water splashing against the windows. Julian didn’t slow his speed for a second when driving through the flooded road.

*Is it too late to steal the wheel? Will a car crash give me an advantage? But what if I get hurt more, and he walks away scratch-free?*

“I wouldn’t do that,” Julian said, startling me. His gaze was trained on the road. “If we get into a wreck, it might hurt our babies.”

My eyes widened in shock. There he goes again, reading my mind like one of his shitty novels. I didn’t realize I was intensely staring at the steering wheel until now. *Shit.* He was right again. I didn’t want to risk it either.

Thunder clapped as the clouded night sky lit up for a brief second. Another storm was on the way and we made it back to the garage just in time. *The flood will probably pick back up again if there’s another downpour… fuck. Will I ever get out of here??* My hope for Mom coming to my rescue was dwindling quickly. It’s only been two days, and I was too frustrated to pay attention when they announced where they were going for their honeymoon. Who knows how far away they are and how long it’ll take them to drive here?

*Will Amy and the boys think something is wrong if they can’t get a hold of me?* My hope for that flatlined quickly. Mom was one thing, but my friends didn’t mean shit to Julian. After witnessing what he did to that naïve woman and Elena, I wouldn’t doubt that he’d do the same to them. *Bastard…*

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice Julian get out of the car and open up my door. “Come on, Beautiful. I’ll carry you.”

“Go fuck yourself.” I spat.

He frowned with impatience I rarely see. “Please, don’t make this difficult. It’ll start raining again soon.”

“Then fuck off already! I said I–HEY!” I shouted when he dragged me out by my arms and scooped me up bridal style. I flinched when my leg was moved an inch. The exertion was taking its toll.

“Don’t worry, Beautiful,” He murmured adoringly while kissing my forehead. “I’ll take care of you, just like I always said I would,” He then whispered in my ear. “And you’ll be a good girl this time. *Never* run away from home again. You’re *mine*.”

The obsession dripping from his voice was enough to rot an apple. I didn’t respond to him. I knew it was pointless. All I cared about was finding a way to get out again. But will Julian treat me the same? Something tells me that next time he catches me, he won’t be so nice.

*It’s a risk I gotta take. Fucker is madly in love with me. It’s not like he’ll kill me, too. Right…?*

Julian carried me inside right before the rain could soak our clothes. Well, his clothes. I was still soaked from falling in the flood and getting swept away in the stupid current.

Grace was waiting in the living room, sitting on the long sofa with her legs and arms crossed. The lifted leg bounced with frustration. Her eyes had that hostile blue ember in them that Julian would get when he was reaching his limits. “I told you! You should’ve let the mutt run back to the streets where she belongs.”

I shot her a fierce glare. “Fuck you too, hoe. You think I wanna be here?”

Grace pointed her sharp knife at me, making my hostility feel as chained as the collar around my neck. “Try harder next time, skank!”

I was taken aback when a memory crossed my mind. My car’s tires were slashed to ribbons, and I assumed it was Grace because she was the one with the giant ass knife. *But if she wants me gone, then…* I looked up at Julian in the corner of my eye, my throat feeling tight. *Was it Julian who slashed my tires? Did he purposely make me think it was Grace’s doing?*

“It’ll be ok, Grace.” Julian’s grip tightened around me, making me flinch from the pain. “She knows not to do it again unless she wants to get punished next time.”